Game skill register



May 1, 1928.

1,668,066 w. H. FULTON I GAME SKILL REGISTER Original Filed 001;.16, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I 1 Al a-121mm! May 1, 1928. 1,668,066

w. H. FULTON V GAME SKILL REGISTER Original Filed Oct. 16, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR w. H. FULTON GAME SKILL REGISTER Original Filed Oct. 16,- 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. FULTON, OF IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

GAME SKILL REGISTER.

Application filed October 16, 1925, Serial No. 62,818. Renewed July 23, 1927.

This invention relates to means for registering the honors or counts due a player 1n connection with the playing of a game.

The main ob j cct of the invention is to provide means especially for use in connection with the game of bridgc-whist played with the usual pack of fifty-two playing cards, whereby the ability of a player to foretell cards played by the other players may be indicated or registered.

lVhile the invention is especially adapted for playing the game as indicated it may be adapted to other uses which would be within the scope of the present invention,

Other and ancillary objects of the inven-' tion will appear hereinafter.

In the acompanying drawings which illustrate the invention Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a table arranged with sets of apparatus for four players as will be hereinafter referred to;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a set of apparatus for a player, the playing surface or table top being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fi 2' Fig.2 is a partial section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a to plan view of a fragment of the topof a table showing the visible parts of a set of apparatus for one player;

Fig. 6 is a section on the. line 6-6 of Fi 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 5 and Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the electrical connections of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus may be mounted upon a table 1, the top of which serves as a playing surface and the storage battery 2 for supplying energy to the apparatus may be conveniently located upon the shelf 3 supported by the legs of the table.

At each players position is mounted an apparatus which will now be described, the apparatus for one player being the same as that for each of the other players so that a description of one will suiiice for each.

Below the top 4 of the table and suitably supported and spaced therefrom is a plate 5 in which is rotatably mounted a stud 6 to which is fixed the indicator disk 7 and also the manipulating button or handle 8 which is above the table top. Also fixed to this spindle is an electrical connecting arm 9, one end 10 of which is adapted to successively engage with the circular row of contact studs 11 as the button 8 is turned, while the other end 12 of the arm 9 is adapted to successively engage with the circumferential series of contact studs 13. It will be seen that the end 12 is so narrow that it cannot engage simultaneously with two contacts 13 so that it is impossible to form a contact through more than one of these studs at a. time. Also engaging with the series 13 of studs is a spring 14 fixed to the bottom of the disk 7 and serving by engagement with the stud-heads 13 to bring the disk 7 to rest definitely in the various successive positions which it is desired it should occupy, thereby preventing the disk from coming to rest in a midway location, and it also serves the purpose of holding the disk in a given posi tion so that it will not be dislodged there-- from accidentally after it has been adjusted.

In the disk 7 is a circumferential groove 15 which in section is a trapezium with the parallel sides at the top and bottom. The outer inclined side carrles a series of characters'16 representing each of the playing cards in a pack and also may comprise indications of the suits as C. D. H. and S. corresponding to the four suits of clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades and may further have characters such as D for discard (meaning cards discarded) and T for trumps.

Secured in the table top and extending below the same is a cup 17 having its lower portion 18 of the shape of a trapezium in section whereby it fits into the groove 15 more or less closely, and in one side of the bottom of the cup is a slot-19 through which an appropriately located character of the series 16 may be observed. This slot, it will be observed, by reason of being below the surface of the table and viewable from only one side thereof, causesthe exhibited character to be eflectually concealed from the view of parties other than the player to mally held in elevated position by a. spring 23 interposed between the button 22 and the bushing 20. This button is mounted below the top surface of the table 4 within a sleeve 24. Upon depression of the button 22 the contact head 25 of the plunger will make contact with the contact spring 26 which normally rests against an insulated stop stud 27.

Also there is mounted in a sleeve 28 mounted in the table top 4 an incandescent signal lamp 29 screwed into a socket 30 mounted upon the plate 5. Also there is rotatably mounted in the plate a register disk 31 having a ratchet 32 at its periphery, and it also has a circumferential series of numbers 33 to indicate counts. A spring 34 tends to turn the register disk 31 but it is normally restrained by the dogs 35 and 36 alternately engaging with the ratchet teeth. One of the dogs is pivoted at 37 to the armature 38 of an electro-magnet 39 mounted on the plate 5 and the two dogs 35 and 36 are connected together by a link 40 pivoted at 41 to the dog35 and at the other end being pivoted to the armature 38. The disk 31 is fixed to a spindle 42 rotatably mounted in a bushing 43 fixed to the plate 5. The spring 34 is secured at one end to the bushing 43 and the other end 44 is secured. to the disk 31. The spindle 42 terminates at its upper end in a knurled finger piece 45 located in a cup 46 let into the table top 4. By means of this finger piece the disk 31 may be reset to zero as desired, the dogs 35 or 36 slipping over the ratchet teeth in this direction of movement of the disk. The arts are so constructed and proportioned t at with the dogs 35 and 36 in the position as shown in Fig. 2, if the magnets 39 be energized the dogs will be drawn to the right against the force of the spring 47 extending between the dog 35 and the post 48 fixed in position upon the plate 5, the spring being secured to the latter by a tension-adjusting screw 49. When the dogs are thus drawn to the right the nose of the dog 35 will enter into the ratchet path before the nose of the dog 36 is withdrawn therefrom. Upon withdrawal of the last the disk may turn one-half the length of a ratchet tooth before coming against the nose of the dog 35'. On deenergization of the ma et 39 the spring 47 will retract the dogs toward the left (Fig. 2) and, the nose of the dog 36 entering into the ratchet path before the nose of the dog 35 is withdrawn therefrom, the disk will turn one-half the length of aratchet tooth upon withdrawal of the dog 35, so that the enerof a ratchet tooth as just described will serve to move one number division on the disk out of register position and move the next number into such position. It is to be observed that the opening 50 is provided with a cupshaped member 51 in the bottom of which is a slot 52 so that only one number upon the register is viewable at a time.

Referring now to the diagram of Fig. 8 which shows connections of a tablc as indicated in Fig. 1 in which is incorporated four sets of apparatus as just described and shown in connection with Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive, the electrical connections are as fol- .lows

tery, however, is controlled by the normally open spring contacts 53 located at each set. The other terminal'of the storage battery is connected with the arm 9 of each set, this.

connection being made to each arm through the register-operating electro-magnet 39 and the incandescent signal lamp 29 which are connected in parallel. As to the outer row 11 of contacts in each set corresponding contacts of all the sets are connected together. Thus the corresponding contacts a, a, a and a are connected by the conductors 54, 55, 56 and 57 with the conductor 54 and so are connected together. In the same way other corresponding contacts of the rows 13 of the sets are connected together in a similar manner and need not be traced.

There is in each of the rows of contacts 13, a contact corresponding to each indication that it is desired to make. Thus there is a contact corresponding to each of the fifty-two cards in a pack of playing cards and also such other indications as to discards, trumps and suits as has been before referred to. I

The contacts are so arranged that when certain indication in the slot 19, the arm 9 turning therewith will engage with a definite one of the contacts 13 corresponding to the indication given and the settings in each of the sets for the given indication will cause the engagement of its arm 9 with corresponding contacts. When, therefore, any two or more sets are adjusted for the same indication their arms 9 will be connected together because the corresponding contacts upon which they rest are connected together as before referred to. The closing of a push button 53, therefore, will close thecircuit of all the sets having the same settings through its register-operating magnet 39 and signal lamp 29, which will cause an operation of the register and the signal lamp at each of the similarly adjusted sets. As before invention is contemplated, may now be described, the table being equipped with four sets of apparatus, that is, adapted for the use of four players. The contemplated use in this connection involves the giving credit to players for that most valuable ability in connection with the game referred to namely, the ability to foretell the card which another player will play. Thus if one player is about to play, the other'players by grasp:

ing their knobs 8 will respectively'turn their;

disks 7 until there appears in the slot 19 the indication of the card which the particular player believes will be played. The person about to play by means of his knob 8 sets the disk 7 so as to indicate the card he intends to play and then practically simultaneously with the playing of the card pushes his button 22 thereby closing the circuit across the battery of all electro-magnets 39 and all signal lamps 29 in sets which have their disks adjusted to indicate the same card as that indicated by the players indicator. Thus as shown in Fig. 5 the apparatus is set to indicate the ten of clubs. If the player should set his dial to similarly indicate the ten of clubs and press his push butto all of the magnets 39 of those sets adjusted to indicate the ten of clubs would be energized on the pushing of the button and deenergized on its release. As before seen this would result in the stepping up of the registers of those sets by a number which will be exhibited through the slot 52. Thus in the apparatus as shown in Fig. 5 the registered number is 3 indicating that 3 correct forecastings of the cards to be pla'ed have been made. With this exception, owever, that as the player p shes his button he not only operates propei ly. set apparatus of the other players but also\,operates his own. For this reason 13 of the apparently recorded guesses on each players register correspond to operations upon his own plays and are therefore .ubtracted from the total amount indicated by the register in order to arrive at the true score.-

The signal lights 29 are useful as attracting attention to the fact that a registration has been made. v a

While the invention has been illustrated in what are considered its best applications it may have other embodiments without departin from its spirit and is not therefore limite to the structures shown in the drawings.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a plurality of registers of means for operating said registers including a controlling means and a plurality of indicating means, each of said indicating means having a plurality of indicating positions, said registers being adapted to be operated when said indicators are in predetermined relative positions and said controlling means is operated.

2. The combination with a game-pla ing surface of a plurality of sets thereon 0 apparatus for indicating the correct foreseeing of the actions of the different players respectively, each of said sets comprising a register, an indicator having different indicating posit-ions corresponding to different actions on the part of the player andmeans for causing operation of appropriate registers,

-a register of each set being adapted to be operated upon the positioning of two of said indicators in corresponding relationship and the operation of a register-operating means. A l

3. The combination with a plurality of sets of apparatus for indicating the correct foreseeing of the actions of the difi'erent players respectively, each of'said sets comprising a register, an indicator havin different indicating positions correspon ing to different actions on the part of the player and means for causing operation of appro- 100 priate registers, a register of each set being adapted to be operated upon the positioning of two of said indicators in corresponding relationship and the operation of a registeroperating means.

4. The combination with a plurality of registers of means for operating said registers including a plurality of indicators each having a plurality of indicating positions, a register controlling means corresponding to 110 each of said indicators, said registers being adapted to be operated selectively by the relative positioning of said indicators.

5. The combination with a plurality of sets of apparatus, each of said sets com- 1 prising a register for scoring points, a circuit controller comprising a dial having positions corresponding to various card lays and a second circuit controller, each 0 said registers being adapted to be operated upon the placing of the dial of its set and the dial of another set in certain relative positions and the operation of the said second circuit controller of the other set.

6. The combination with a plurality of sets of apparatus, each of said sets comprising a register for securing points, a circuit controller comprising an indicator for positions corresponding to various card lay and a second circuit controller, each of said registers bein adapted to be operated upon the placing the indicator of its set and the indicator of another set in certain relative positions and the operation of the said second circuit controller of the other set.

7. The combination with a plurality of indicators capable of being set in a plurality of positions, interconnecting means between corresponding positions of the various indicators, a plurality of registers and means associated with such set of indicators and registers whereby all registers having the same relative indicator setting may be operated by the last mentioned means.

8. The combination with a plurality of in- ,dicators capable of being set in a plurality of positions, interconnecting means between corresponding positions of the various indicators, a plurality of registers, means associated with each set of indicators and registers'whereby all registers having the same relativeindicator setting may be operated by said means, a signal lamp' for each of said sets controlled by the indicator of its set and adapted to be operated only when the indicator is properly set to operate the registers of sets having corresponding settings of their indicators.

9. The combination with a plurality of indicators capable of being set in a plurality of positions, interconnecting means between corresponding positions of the various indicators, a plurality of registers, means associated with each set of indicators and registers whereby all registers having the same relative indicator setting may be operated by said means, a lamp for each of said sets controlled by the indicator of its set and adapted tobe operated only when the indicator is properly set to operate the reg- I isters of sets having corresponding settings of their indicators.

10. The combination with a surface upon which a card game may be played, of a plurality of sets of apparatus mounted thereon, each of said sets of apparatus comprising an electric lamp, an electrically operated register and an indicator adapted to be set in a plurality of positions corresponding to diflerent plays in the game and a circuit closer, and electrical connections bet-weensaid sets of apparatus, and a source of electro-motiveforce, each of said indicators being adapted to close a circuit through said source, a circuit closer corresponding to the indicator and the registers of all of the said sets having a setting corresponding to the last aforesaid indicator whereby all of the last mentioned registers, and the lamp in the set of the indicator, will be opera ed upon the operation of the circuit closer.

11. In an apparatus for registering points allowable for correct foretelling of plays in a card game, the combination with means for indicating the card played, means for indicating a card foretold to be played, a register for indicating the correct foretelling' of the card play and means for relating said means for indicating the card played and the said means for indicating a card foretold to be played adapted to operate the register when the foretelling of the card play is corroot.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification this fourteenth day of October, 1925.

WILLIAM H. FULTON. 

